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Over-the-Shoulder Catches

Catch a deep ball coming over your shoulder without breaking stride.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

BB · PARTNERAA · YOU
BB · PARTNERAA · YOU
SetupJog away from your partner at an angle.

Core: Medium. Beat your own best of catches out of 10.

Ages
11 and up
Time
12 min
Players
You and a partner
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Football, partner
Level · skill
Developing · Catching

The steps

How it works

  1. Jog away from your partner at an angle.
  2. Look back over your inside shoulder.
  3. Catch with your pinkies together and keep running.
  4. Do 8 over each shoulder.

Coaching point

Late hands, eyes to the tuck.

Step by step

The drill in 2 frames

  1. BB · PARTNERAA · YOU

    Jog away from your partner at an angle.

  2. BB · PARTNERAA · YOU

    keep running

    Catch with your pinkies together and keep running.

  • Run or crawl
  • Ball: pass, toss or throw
  • Faint: already done

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Catch-and-call: a partner throws and calls a color or number, and you say it as you catch. The pair counts catches, then swaps.

Challenge

Pick a level: Less (soft toss), Core (medium), More (on the move). Beat your own best of catches out of 10.

Story

You are a receiver making the big play in the final minute.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own best of catches out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

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